The invention relates to a method for the production of a band with a plurality of parallel optical fibers, in which sections of the surface of the optical fibers are treated in such a way that the optical damping of the optical fibers is increased in the treated sections.
For example, such a method is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,321,257. For example, the surface of the optical fibers used in the band can be changed by heat forming, where, for example, three of these optical fibers can be connected to form a band. If the surface-treated sections of the optical fibers are in different alignment to one another with respect to the respective cross section of the optical fibers, then, if the band is bent, the curvature of the band in three dimensional space can be determined from the bending dependent, changing damping in the optical fibers. For this, the surface-treated areas of the respective optical fibers are used, since the bending dependent change of the damping is particularly strong here. The change in the intensity of light signals sent through the optical fibers can be determined and can be evaluated with regard to a damping change of the optical fibers.
US/2002/0057859 A1 discloses a method, in which an optical fiber can be fed to any process via a roll. This process may be a production process for the subsequent further processing of the optical fiber or, for example, a process in which the optical fiber is laid in situ. To be able to optically monitor the process, a sensor section is inserted into the optical fiber prior to rolling off of the optical fiber, and a measuring light is fed into the optical fiber in the process of being rolled off. The optical response which is reflected by the sensor section of the optical fiber is read again at the feeding-in location of the measuring light and evaluated with regard to the statements of interest of a quality control.